There are a million things I look forward to every autumn, such as crunchy leaves and crisp air and new seasons of fabulous TV shows and the thought that omgthankgod! that shorts are out of season, but the best by far is smashing squashes(eseses) into savory foods.

And I wish the excitement was shared with other members of my family, but while my husband is just “okay” with a squash side dish, the rest of my family practically lost their… stuff… when I brought butternut lasagna to Thanksgiving dinner last year. Um, hello? I’m not gonna fight it if you can’t handle squash in untraditional ways. More for me. Whomp whomp.

And that’s sort of what I did last weekend. I, of course, was able to call this a meal considering it consisted of some of my favorite ingredients in the world, but SOMEONE else had to pair it with some leftover turkey meatballs. Not together. I would NOT let him ruin this fettuccine like that. But I mean, who knows what happened when my back was turned. He probably doused it with ketchup or something.

Welcome to my life.

The thing is… I could not stop devouring this. Like straight up, right from the baking dish devouring it. Like a hot mess. Like a I-don’t-even-care-who-sees-me hangry disaster. Like a it’s-9:45-and-I’m-watching-Full-House-and-frying-extra-sage-for-a-microwave-heated-bowl-of-pumpkin-pasta freak. I even kept sneaking bites (from whom? I don’t know. Is it whom or who?) for the rest of the night, as the dish got colder and colder and colder. Didn’t care. Was a girl possessed.

And I swear, it’s different from the butternut shells I rambled on and on about last week, because, uh… well… I say so. It’s much creamier, it sports a different noodle, it’s covered in sage and cheesier too. Cheesier in a good way. Not a cheesy way. And while it’s still a bit decadent, it’s slightly lighter than traditional alfredo and loaded with fiber and nutrients and all sorts of good stuff.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Boil water and prepare pasta according to directions, shaving 1-2 minutes off of cooking time. I cooked my fettuccine for 6 minutes.

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add butter. Once sizzling, whisk in flour and stir to create a roux, until bubbly and golden, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add in milk, stirring constantly and increasing heat a little bit until it begins to bubble and thicken, about 5-6 minutes. Add in mascarpone, parmesan, pumpkin, sage, salt, pepper and pumpkin pie spice, mixing well until smooth and combined and thickened into a sauce.

Spray a baking dish (mine was 7x11) with nonstick spray and add pasta to the dish. Pour sauce over top and toss well with kitchen tongs to coat. Add some grated fontina on top and a sprinkling of bread crumbs. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until bubbly and slightly golden.

While pasta is baking, heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add olive oil. Once hot, add sage leaves 4-5 at a time and fry for about 30 seconds. Remove and place on a paper towel.

Serve pasta immediately and top with sage leaves.

[This can easily be reheated but like any alfredo, you will need to add a bit of milk or liquid as it warms to bring the creaminess back to the dish.]

Unbelievable. I was just thinking of making Alfredo with either pumpkin or butternut squash this afternoon! So here I am 6 hrs later with no Alfredo to speak of thinking I need to drop by to see whats new on sweet eats for today and BAM! The exact recipe I had been thinking of. Lol thank you Jessica!

I am super biased when it comes to fontina cheese because it is just SO melty! It melts perfectly and gets all bubbly and delish. But I also love the flavor and find it works really well with squash. You could definitely replace it with another cheese if you’d like!

Hello! The recipe looks awesome! I’m thinking of making it for someone who is lactose intolerant (since they would normally not be able to have alfredo)…I was thinking of skipping the mascarpone, using lactose free or soy milk, and then using parmesan on top which is naturally lower in lactose…I was curious to see if you did veganize it, how you did it?? Thanks….

I just made this for dinner and OH MY GOD it is amazing. You’re such a genius! I swapped in penne because it’s what I had in the pantry. AND I added in some paprika and cayenne… I just couldn’t help myself, am sooo addicted to spicy food. it was amazing! The sweetness of the pumpkin with the after kick of spice, heaven.

I just made this to put over spaghetti squash (and spinach and ground chicken). The taste is excellent, especially with the sage. However, this recipe made a LOT of sauce! I only used two cups of it in my 7×11 dish. So I’ll be freezing the rest of it to use at a later time.

You’re killing me, here! I love pumpkin and squash. My husband, like yours, thinks it’s ok. But my kids?! I blame it on the fact that they’re Floridians, born and raised. And though I do make my kids eat things they don’t “prefer” (they’re not allowed to say they don’t like) putting that much love into food to see more than 50 percent of those at the table stare at it like I just served them monkey brains – it kind of takes the air out of one’s balloon. Still…it looks soooooooo good i might just have to risk it!

You are my cooking soul mate, I love squash. I still have flash backs to how good that lasagna from last year was, and I refuse to accept when my boy puts ketchup on already delicious things (ugh!). I too never remember who/whom. Thanks for enabling me!

HOLY HELL! HO-LEE-HELL! ms. lady you sure do know a thing or two about a thing or two. i laughed at yer write up then ended up doing the same thing. i had to raid my pals garden for more sage, since i used all mine up trying to eat all this love in a baking dish! it’s like a freaking mouthful of fall!

Made this last night with jarred alfredo b/c I had it on hand. While I’m sure it was nowhere near as good had I taken the time to make the sauce from scratch, it was still quite delicious. I took another commentor’s advice & added some chili powder for a little kick to balance the sweet & creamy. Added some roasted veggies to fill it out and we were set. Thanks for this delicious fall recipe! It’ll definitely be happening again!

Oh man! I just made this and it turned out AWESOME! I must also say that, upon my husband’s request for mac & cheese, I made your Beer Mac & Cheese yesterday and then this for dinner tonight, so we are officially cheesey-fied and loving it. Great recipes, chica!

Cindy,
You can google pumpkin puree to see how it’s made. There are several ways on how to do it. Steam, bake, etc.

I find Mascarpone cheese at my local Wal-Mart. Usually with the fancier cheeses near the deli. HTH.

Diana — October 22nd, 2012 @ 9:05 am

Canned pumpkin is already pureed… and I found the marscapone at Walmart! You just have to look in their specialty cheese section, near the deli. You would without a doubt find it at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s.

Sooo I have been having trouble getting my cheese to like combine instead of being in gobs every single time I have tried making any cheese sauce for the last 5 months. It is really depressing, I want to eat some homemade cheesy goodness. Help me!!!

Oh my, was this delicious! A friend of mine made this for a dinner get-together a few nights ago, and I am headed to the store right now to buy the ingredients; I can’t wait to make it myself! It really is the perfect fall dinner recipe- creamy, warming, hearty, full of autumn-in-New-England-charm. P.S., am visiting your blog for the first time and LOVE IT! Oh how I can’t wait to try the red wine and goat cheese risotto and your butternut squash lasagna! Thank you, Jessica, for the nudge I needed to get back into the kitchen!

We had this tonight for dinner. Although it was certainly good, the pumpkin flavor wasn’t strong at all — and neither was the color, by the way. I think I’d use triple the pumpkin next time, and probably up the salt, too.

This looks yummy! Was fibbing about trying for a dinner party but would want to do and assemble before guests arrive, possibly the morning of? Do you think this would be ok to make all ahead and then just wait to bake it once we are ready to eat or will it get dry? Thx

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About Jessica

I’m Jessica and this is where I share my stuff. You will find a balance of healthy recipes, comfort food and indulgent desserts.

I am madly, passionately, inexplicably in love with food. Bacon makes me beam. Chocolate makes me shout from the rooftops with joy. Vegetables and I are the best of frenemies. My perfect world would include none of them.
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